1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image forming device drivers, and more particularly to a virtual driver of a server managing a plurality of image forming device drivers and a data printing method using the same.
2. Related Art
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a typical server-client environment in which a plurality of client computers, a server computer, and a plurality of image forming devices are connected to each other on a network, such as a local area network (LAN) or the Internet. As shown in FIG. 1 the image forming devices represent printers; however, such image forming devices can also be photo-copiers, facsimile machines and multi-functional products. Moreover, the server computer controls functions of a driver of each of the printers using a virtual driver installed therein. At this point, each client computer outputs print data to a selected printer through the virtual driver of the server. Then, the virtual driver is responsible for controlling an output job scheduling process, and the client computer selects only fundamental and common functions provided from the virtual driver and outputs the print data.
More specifically, a printer is connected to the server computer, and then a virtual driver is installed in the server computer. The virtual driver recognizes the installed driver of each printer connected on the network. Then, only a fundamental and common function property of each recognized printer is provided to a user. The client computer controls an output job through the virtual driver. The virtual driver is assigned to each printer using various scheduling methods. Consequently, original functions of each printer are not provided to the user.
As described in connection with FIG. 1, various kinds of printers that also provide various kinds of functions are connected to the server computer in the network. The virtual driver installed on the server computer provides a user with a unified interface for the driver of each printer. Each user of the client computers uses a server printer to print documents. At this point, one unique driver is used to output documents through the virtual driver functions. The virtual driver selects one printer among the connected printers and outputs print data using, for example, a job scheduling method.
The virtual driver only provides fundamental and common functions of the connected printer drivers to a user. The virtual driver cannot provide specific functions such as N-UP, Watermark, Overlay, Poser, Duplex, Toner Save, etc. Consequently, the client computer cannot use specific functions of each printer.